Turning interest from colleges into offers is a major milestone for your players. While you communicate with college coaches, you can help your players understand just how interested they are and let alert them if you anticipate a formal offer is coming.

We've talked to athletes about the various recruiting, quiet, and dead periods during the calendar year. Something we stress to them is that their coaches can always communicate with colleges to help support their efforts.

Recruiting is about trust and relationships and coaches have the ability to have more open conversations with one another. Your conversations with college coaches can be more direct and honest regarding their current recruiting class, their genuine interest in your players, and what their future plans are with your athletes. 

You also have the opportunity to be honest with college coaches when discussing other programs that are interested in your athletes, how your athletes are developing, and how likely your athletes are to consider an offer from that school.

Getting the first offer is key as it allows both you and your players to share this information with other interested college coaches.

When one of your players receives that first offer, have a thorough conversation with your athlete and his/her parents. 

Ask the following:

Once you have answers to these questions, create a plan to speak with other college coaches who've shown interest. While you don't need to convey every detail of the current offers your athletes have, be sure to express clearly that other programs have shown real interest.

Finally, be honest with other college coaches. While you don't want to completely dismiss any offer you've received, express to college coaches at programs where your athletes are interested that you're excited to have offers on the table but they're very interested in attending their school as well.

This will help drive competition between colleges and ultimately surface the best offer for your athletes.